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Introduction to Nanomaterials and Occupational Safety and Health

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Introduction to Nanomaterials and Occupational Safety and Health Introduction to Nanomaterials and Occupational Safety and Health William Marsh Rice University This material was produced under grant number SH-21008-10-60-F-48 from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor. It does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Labor, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. 1-1 Introduction to Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials Lesson Overview The purpose of this lesson is to provide workers with introductory information about nanotechnology and nanomaterials. These topics will be covered: 1. How small is a nanometer? 2. Definitions and commonly used terms 3. How is the nanoscale different from the macroscale or the atomic scale? 4. Major classes of nanomaterials and their benefits Learning Objectives At the end of this module you will be able to Contrast objects at the nanoscale with larger and smaller forms of matter Define key terms in nanotechnology Explain some of the ways nanomaterial properties differ from molecules and microscale particles Describe some of the physical and chemical characteristics that can change at the nanoscale Describe some of the major classes of nanomaterials produced today and their properties and potential benefits Topic 1: How small is a nanometer? 1 nm = 0.000000001 m = 10-9 m = one billionth meter The size of any object worthy of the name “nanobug” cannot be estimated by squeezing together one’s fingers nor seen by squinting one’s eyes. The nanoscale is much too small for us to experience directly with our senses. As with chemical substances, nanoscale objects may be present in the working environment with little to alert the worker of a possible exposure. Just because you can’t see it, feel it, smell it or taste it doesn’t mean it’s not there. 1-2 Handout 1 Remember that “nano” does not simply mean “very small”. There are many forms of matter much smaller than a nanometer, including electrons, atoms and most molecules. The nanoscale is in between the very small atomic regime and the larger regime of microparticles and colloids. On the left of the diagram are naturally occurring objects of various sizes. On the right are human-designed objects of various sizes. There are plenty of natural objects that fall within the nanoscale, notably DNA and some larger proteins. Whether these can be called “nanotechnology” will be addressed in Topic 2. 1-3 Where does each of these fit? Place the following objects on the ruler according to their approximate size. (Use diameter unless otherwise specified.) 1. Bacterium 5. Virus 2. Ant 6. Human hair 3. Molecule 7. Atom 4. Buckyball (C60) Topic 2: Definitions and Commonly Used Terms Key terms include nanotechnology, nanoscale, nanomaterial, nanoparticle and nanofiber. There are several standard definitions for each of these. GROUP ACTIVITY (See Handout 2) In groups of 3-5, find similarities and differences among the definitions of nanotechnology, nanoparticle and nanomaterial published by ASTM, BSI and OSHA. 1-4 Handout 2 A Selection of Standard Definitions and Terms Nanotechnology ASTM International: E 2456 – 06 nanotechnology, n—A term referring to a wide range of technologies that measure, manipulate, or incorporate materials and/or features with at least one dimension between approximately 1 and 100 nanometers (nm). Such applications exploit the properties, distinct from bulk/macroscopic systems, of nanoscale components. British Standards Institute PAS 71: 2005 design, characterization, production and application of structures, devices and systems by controlling shape and size at the nanoscale nanoscale: having one or more dimensions of the order of 100 nm or less OSHA website Nanotechnology is the understanding, manipulation, and control of matter at dimensions of roughly 1 to 100 nanometers, which is near-atomic scale, to produce new materials, devices, and structures. Nanoparticle ASTM International: E 2456 – 06 nanoparticle, n—in nanotechnology, a sub-classification of ultrafine particle with lengths in two or three dimensions greater than 0.001 micrometer (1 nanometer) and smaller than about 0.1 micrometer (100 nanometers) and which may or may not exhibit a size-related intensive property. ultrafine particle, n—in nanotechnology, a particle ranging in size from approximately 0.1 micrometer (100 nanometers) to .001 micrometers (1 nanometer). DISCUSSION—The term is most often used to describe aerosol particles such as those found in welding fumes and combustion by-products… British Standards Institute PAS 71: 2005 particle with one or more dimensions at the nanoscale OSHA website No definition published Nanomaterial ASTM International: E 2456 – 06 No standard definition published. British Standards Institute PAS 71: 2005 material with one or more external dimensions, or an internal structure, on the nanoscale, which could exhibit novel characteristics compared to the same material without nanoscale features OSHA website Engineered nanoscale materials or nanomaterials are materials that have been purposefully manufactured, synthesized, or manipulated to have a size with at least one dimension in the range of approximately 1 to 100 nanometers and that exhibit unique properties determined by their size. 1-5 There are other standards produced by voluntary standard developing organizations, most notably ISO, but no consensus has emerged yet about which set of definitions will prevail. OSHA’s definition of nanotechnology conforms more or less to that posted on the National Nanotechnology Initiative’s nano.gov website. Nanomaterial: Like its definition for nanoparticle, BSI’s nanomaterial definition references one or more dimensions at the nanoscale. However, it distinguishes between external dimensions (meaning “of the whole object”) and internal structure. Therefore an object can be larger than 100 nm in all three dimensions yet still be considered a nanomaterial if it has structural features within the nanoscale range. OSHA simply refers to one or more dimensions between 1-100 nm. Both BSI and OSHA refer to special properties but the BSI definition is less restrictive about this requirement (“could exhibit” for BSI vs. “that exhibit” for OSHA). ASTM does not define this term. For the purposes of this course, we will use the OSHA definition of nanomaterial and the ASTM definition of nanoparticle. Flowchart for Nanotechnology Terms 1-6 This flowchart uses the OSHA and BSI criteria for nanomaterial, the ASTM definition of nanoparticle and the BSI definition of nanofiber. Nanofibers and nanoparticles can be called nanomaterials. They differ only in their length-to-width aspect ratio. Long and narrow objects are more accurately described as nanofibers whereas objects that are more spherical than needle-like are better described as nanoparticles. To be safe, one can simply call an object with one or more external dimensions on the nanoscale a nanomaterial. IMAGE CREDITS: Quantum dot tetrapod: Mike Wong, Rice University; Nanofiber: DOI: 10.1002/adma.200803174 What is it? Use the flowchart to determine what each of these objects should be called. SOURCE: nanoshell is from nanospectra.com; macroporous nickel is from [Advanced Materials article] Different Types of Nanomaterials Naturally occurring: There are many materials that satisfy the size requirements of the nanoscale but are produced naturally rather than in a factory or research lab. Combustion products (e.g., from a forest fire) and volcanic ash are both composed of a range of substances and particle sizes, some of which are on the nanoscale. Viruses could even be considered nanoscale particles. Human Origin (incidental): Humans engage in many activities that produce nanoscale particles as an unintentional waste product of the process. Workers may be familiar with examples from 1-7 welding, sandblasting or other industrial processes. Some of these particles have been implicated in unwanted public or occupational health outcomes. Human Origin (Engineered): When we speak in this course about nanomaterials we will be talking about the third class shown in the table, the particles that have been intentionally designed to be in the nanoscale and are being studied or used commercially because of their novel properties. Some examples, about which more will be presented later, include nanoscale metals such as nanosilver, semiconducting nanoparticles known colloquially as quantum dots, carbon-based nanomaterials such as nanotubes, ceramic (metal oxide) nanoparticles such as titanium dioxide which is found in sunscreens, and polymeric hydrocarbon-based nanoparticles such as capsules used for drug delivery. The main differences between Incidental and Engineered nanomaterials are that Engineered nanomaterials are intentionally designed to exploit a novel feature that accompanies the small size and are typically better controlled than randomly produced Incidental nanomaterials. Topic 3: How is the nanoscale different from the macroscale or the atomic scale? Nanomaterial Properties Can Change with Size Classical Mechanics (Everyday Physics) Quantum Mechanics (Wave Physics) 0.1 1 10 100 1000 Length Scale (nm) The nanoworld Very small forms of matter such as atoms and molecules have their own set of rules and don’t behave the same way as larger objects. At the nanometer scale, fundamental physical and chemical properties depend on the size of the object. 1-8 Start with an individual water molecule. We can’t see or feel individual water molecules but when conditions are right the individual molecules start to cluster together into tiny droplets. The droplet may start off as a cluster of 5 or 6 molecules, at which point it’s not much different than a single molecule. However, the bigger the cluster gets, the more it begins to resemble a raindrop. As more and more molecules cluster together, the droplet gets heavier and heavier until eventually it falls from the sky. In other words, there is a point at which the cluster of water molecules stops resembling an individual gas-phase molecule and starts resembling a liquid-phase raindrop. The water undergoes a smooth transition from gas to liquid simply as a result of its change in size.
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